The present invention relates to a foldable screen assembly of the type comprising a series of hingedly connected panels shiftable between an extended condition to provide a room divider and a collapsed side by side stored condition and an infinite variety of intermediate positions between extended and stacked.
Conventional screens, used as room dividers or the like, comprise a series of panels. Hinges span the margins of adjacent panels enabling the panels to be extended into coplanar or near coplanar alignment to divide a space. The screens can be folded into side by side stacked condition for storage. In the stacked condition, the thickness of the stack is the sum of the thickness of the individual panels
The present invention is directed to a screen assembly which is shiftable between an extended, space dividing condition and a stacked storing condition. The screen, in the storage condition, is of a thickness which is less than the sum of the thicknesses of the panels forming the screen. The screen provides a unique highly attractive appearance and has achieved substantial commercial success.
The screen is comprised of a plurality of panels. The panels are formed of vertically stacked interconnected beams, H-shaped in vertical section, including a central web, from the ends of which project vertically directed flanges extending above and below the plane of the web.
The flanges at one side of the beams of a first panel, i.e. the left-most flanges are coupled in spaced relation such that the said flanges are in coplanar alignment. The uncoupled flanges of the first panel (the right flanges) define spaces there between.
The beams of a second panel are coupled to the first panel by the left-most flanges of the second panel being pivotally connected to the webs of the first panel. The webs of the second panel are free to move through the spaced defined between the right hand flanges of the first panel.
The webs of the beams of adjacent panels are offset vertically. A third panel includes beams pivotally connected to the second panel, the left flanges of the third panel being pivotally connected to the webs of the beams of the second panel, the flanges of the second panel beams being spaced from, interposed between and shiftable through the webs of the third panel.
As a result of this structure, the first and third panels may be folded together with the second panel encompassed between the said first and third panels. The combined thickness of the three panels consists essentially of the thickness of the first and third panels only.
It will be appreciated that the screen structure will typically comprise seven or more panels as depicted in a drawing herein, the three panel figure provided herewith being included to simplify an understanding of the device.